Mr Milne on Earthquake- Shocks felt in Great Britain. Ill 



1795. 



April 8. Comrie. Wind east. Shock and rumble at 3 p m. 

 ... 25. Comrie about 6 p.m. Smart shock. (Wind veered to north at 

 2 P.M. from west.) Earth trembled greatly ; noise began to 

 north of village, and expired towards south ; the wind blew 

 more briskly after the shock, from NW. to SE. 



June 19. Comrie. A rumbling noise in bowels of earth. 



July 14. Comrie. Two or three rumbles in evening; wind NW. 

 ... 15. Comrie. A rumble in the evening ; wind north ; very close. 

 ... 25. Comrie. A loud noise, and smart shock at 6^30' p.m. The air 

 warm and heavy ; wind east. 



Sept. 1. Comrie at night. Sounds of earthquake. 



4. Comrie. Shock between 2 and 3 p.m., and some accompanying 

 sounds ; wind SE. ; day wet. 



Oct. 4. Comrie. Shock ; wind S W. 



Xov. 18. At 11 P.M. earthquake felt as far north as Leeds, and as far south 

 as Bristol ; east as far as Norwich, and west as far as Bristol. 

 Before shock, strong gale from SW., then a lull. Imme- 

 diately before shock, a whizzing gust of wind. A tremulous 

 motion in the earth preceded and followed the shock. The 

 barometer for thirty-six hours preceding the shock, had va- 

 ried very remarkably, — on 1 7th, it was 30.23. On 18th it sunk 

 to 28.G3 j and just before the shock it was 28.8. The ther- 

 mometer was 48°. The atmosphere " was loaded with hu- 

 midity. Thunder and lightning had been observed some days 

 before, and several persons of delicate health passed the night 

 of the 18th in a restless uneasy manner, without knowing 

 why." The wind blew in the morning a hurricane from S W. 

 It was calm, however, when the shock took place, and had 

 been for 4 or 5 hours previously. At Birmingham persons in 

 bed felt themselves raised up, as if by some one underneath. 

 At Derby the shock was so severe that the tops of about 

 twenty chimneys were shaken off. At Nottingham (where 

 also it was severely felt) two shocks were felt ; " and lumi- 

 nous electric appearances in the sky." 

 These appearances were observed in Derby and Notting- 

 ham shires. A ball of fire was seen to pass over the town of 

 Derby, when the shock was felt. The Rev. Mr Gregory re- 

 lates that about six hours before the shock his "attention 

 was much struck with the aspect of the sky in the S. and SE. 

 quarters. In this direction, a cloud very black and lowering 

 extended itself over this part of the hemisphere. The margin 

 of the cloud, which was nearly parallel to the horizon, was 

 fringed, to the extent of at least 40°, from the S. towards the 

 E., and to the breath, perhaps, of 1\°, with a very bright 

 white light, which had very much the appearance of white 

 satin. The light was shaded, to its whole extent, as it were 

 with a veil of a deep muddy purple colour. The white light. 



